After speaking, Stelle recounted the whispers and visions she had experienced in her dreams to the trio.
"Oh, I remember you mentioned having weird dreams before…"
"The dreams weren't the same scenes, but they all involved Cocolia and another voice. They even mentioned [Eternity]."
Dan Heng glanced at Adrian. He was the only one tied to the [Eternity] faction, and with Cocolia slandering them as "[Eternity] Apostates"…
Among Emanators, there were varying levels of strength. Could someone as unfathomable as Adrian indirectly influence a Stellaron Core?
Moreover, the mechanical voice in Stelle's dreams—a mix of male and female tones—was likely the Stellaron Core, if Dan Heng's guess was correct.
The Stellaron Core possessed a degree of sentience and the ability to manipulate minds. Why would it shift blame to the Aeon of [Eternity]? Was it because of Adrian?
The information from Stelle was overwhelming, and Dan Heng needed time to process it. But one thing was certain:
The Stellaron Core was not cast down by the Aeon of [Eternity].
"I'm thinking, perhaps these fragments aren't random fantasies. Could there be some pattern? You're the only one having these recurring dreams. The reason might be…"
"The Stellaron Core inside her?" March 7th ventured.
"That's my guess, but I can't prove it."
"Ugh, that's as good as saying nothing… So, what do we do when we get back to the surface? We've been talking forever, getting all worked up, but it feels like we haven't reached any conclusions…" March 7th said, slightly deflated, turning her hopes to Adrian. "Teacher Adrian, you've been quiet. Got any ideas for us?"
Adrian shook his head. "My take? We've had a tiring morning. Let's head back, get some rest, and think about it this afternoon."
"What?! I knew you'd say that! Wait, tiring? What was tiring about today?!" March 7th exclaimed, then realized something was off.
Reflecting on the day, they had only gone to the Mechanical Settlement, sipped milk tea, and reviewed Stellaron Core-related documents and videos. The only one who could claim to be "tired" was Bronya, whose faith had been shattered.
But because Adrian got lazy, claiming he'd exhausted his energy opening some "[Gate of Ten Thousand Paths]," they had to walk back to Rock Town from Svarog's Mechanical Settlement.
Adrian was reliable, no doubt. In critical moments, you could always count on this not-so-devout [Eternity] Emanator.
But because of his overwhelming strength, he'd developed a certain passivity: he only acted in critical moments. March 7th suspected this was Adrian's current life philosophy.
The problem? In his eyes, there never seemed to be a critical moment! Rounding up, Teacher Adrian would never act!
Call it slacking or laziness, but wasn't this, in its own way, a form of [Eternity]?
"Argh! I wanna be as strong as Teacher Adrian!" March 7th grumbled, half-joking, half-serious. She was starting to want to be an [Eternity] Emanator—or at least a Pathstrider.
"Miss March, then unleash your hidden power!" Adrian teased.
"No such power exists!" she shot back.
Stelle felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her… as if she'd been glanced at by [Nihility] IX. No matter how vivid her nightmares, they couldn't rouse her now.
…
Back in his room, Adrian noticed the scarlet mask was absent. Instead, a familiar holographic projection was sprawled on the bed, playing a game.
"Yo, having fun?"
Before Adrian could answer, Silver Wolf grumbled, "I'm not having fun."
"What, losing streak in your game?"
"Tch, I haven't won a single match since last night! This stupid matchmaking system and those genius planners—have they even tested those broken characters they released?!"
Silver Wolf couldn't understand. Even if her gaming skills weren't top-tier, she shouldn't be losing every match! It was as if something bad was about to happen today.
Could it be…
Was it because she'd been caught cheating a few days ago, and the game's officials were deliberately punishing her with a night of losses?
Seeing Silver Wolf reflect and search for the problem within herself, Adrian nodded approvingly. This aligned with the fifth of the Eight Virtues of the Aeon of Eternity: Pure Heart · Self-Reflection.
He'd always said Silver Wolf had the potential to be an [Eternity] Pathstrider or even an Emanator. She might've even considered it once. But after visiting the Church, perhaps the kids' overwhelming enthusiasm backfired.
Instead of igniting her interest, it doused her desire to join [Eternity].
Adrian couldn't help but feel that his version of the Eight Virtues differed slightly from what the Church's followers understood.
It was unavoidable. If he forced HIS ideals onto his followers, he might not have so many loyal believers.
…
Rivets Town, Abandoned Orphanage.
As soon as Blake appeared, Fragmentum creatures swarmed toward him, as if sensing his presence.
"Disgusting vermin."
A blinding white light flashed, leaving only the ashes of the Fragmentum creatures around Blake.
Freesna stayed at Neverwinter Workshop, where the owner suggested HE was likely in the lower district. Blake had come here immediately.
Hah! That lazy elf—I, Blake, will be the first to see HIM!
Meeting the great one empty-handed wouldn't do. Blake had left in such a rush that he hadn't brought any gifts.
So… he decided to offer the eradication of all Fragmentum creatures in the lower district as a tribute to HIM!
Just as Blake prepared to move to the next location, two unfamiliar presences approached.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, he concealed himself and hid nearby.
To lift Bronya's spirits, Seele had brought her here.
"Strange… maybe it's my imagination, but I swear I saw a flash just now." Seele rubbed her eyes.
"Interesting… This place is overrun with Fragmentum corrosion, creatures infesting the town. Yet two brave warriors are here. Though, they don't seem to be here to fight… more like for a late-night chat."
Hiding behind a wall, Blake couldn't resist the Church's tradition of joining in on the excitement, even if eavesdropping was a bit unethical. But he'd do it anyway, just a little.
No worries—Ite, in THEIR divine grace, would forgive him!
Because… this was the fifth of the Church's Eight Virtues of the Aeon of Eternity: Pure Mirror · Be True to Oneself!
Do what you want—HE embraces all! Whether it's spinning tales of love between Abundance folk and Xianzhou natives or crafting stories of passion and rivalry between the Aeon of [Abundance] and the Aeon of [The Hunt], it's all fine.
For the great [Eternity] Ite will forgive you!
"Enough of that. Look over there—see it? That used to be the roughest part of Rivets Town. It's where I grew up."
"I ran with the big brothers and sisters there, always scheming about where to get my next meal. Until Leader Oleg pulled me out and sent me to the orphanage."
"Then I studied and learned to write with Natasha. At ten, I started patrolling the mining districts with Oleg, sometimes facing off against local thugs…"
Bronya, listening, let out an unexpected remark: "That sounds nice."
"Nice? Are you mocking me?"
"Sorry, life in the lower district is tough. I shouldn't have said it so lightly."